Promise
by lunarchroniclesandcockatiels
Summary: "Dad was there too, and he told me that since I was the oldest, and since he wasn't always going to be around, I had to protect Dana. Protect my sister."


A/N: I do not own the X-Files.

I was four when she was born.  
At first, when I heard the New Baby was a girl, I didn't think much of it.  
After all, I already had a sister. She liked playing with dolls, and trying to get me to play dress-up (which I hated). Although sometimes, but not very often, I could get her to play Navy, which was my dream job (Melissa was always the bad guy). I wanted to be just like Dad. Except that I wouldn't be gone so much like he was. Far from it.  
But when Mom placed the new baby, Dana, in my arms, I changed my mind completely about having a sister.  
Dad was there too, and he told me that since I was the oldest, and since he wasn't always going to be around, I had to protect her.  
I promised I would.

The first time I broke that promise, I was twelve years old, going on thirteen.  
Dana was barely eight.  
Melissa was ten and a half, and Charlie, the baby, had just turned six.  
We were ice skating, at the pond. I had stranded from my siblings, and instead of watching them, I was hanging out on the side of the pond, making snowballs, and throwing them at the birds in the trees. Mom said to always watch your siblings, Bill. Don't let anything happen to them.  
Melissa came running up to me, cheeks red with cold. Charlie followed suit, crying because Melissa had left him behind. She was his favorite, the way Dana was to me.  
"Bill," she said, panting- and I'll never forget the look on her face when she told me. "Come quick! Dana fell through the ice!"  
"What?" I asked, incredulous.  
"There's no time!" Melissa insisted, grabbing my hand, and trying to pull me over to the pond. I fumbled to put on my ice skates, and eventually, I gave up.  
"Grab a stick," I told her, pretending I knew what I was doing so she wouldn't break down and cry. Melissa ran away, quick to follow my orders.  
I walked onto the ice, trying to keep my balance.

I could see a hole in the middle of the pond, right where I had made her promise not to skate, time and time again. One red head was desperately trying to stay out of the water, grabbing onto the ice. I think I heard her screaming. Dad was going to kill me. She was my little sister. I was supposed to protect her, and I couldn't even keep her from falling through the ice in the pond?

Dana was always the daredevil.

I hurried out onto the ice until I was so far out that I wasn't sure it would be safe.

"Melissa," I cried, out of breath. "Where's that stick?" I turned around.

My sister was holding a giant log in her thin arms. I have no idea how she managed to carry it, especially with ice skates on, but she did. "I got it," she promised me, setting it down in front of me. She pushed it forward, towards Dana, who had taken to grabbing the ice.

I was about to break it to her that the stick was too big, that it would probably crack the ice as well, but she pushed it towards Dana before the words came out of my mouth.

"Can you grab it?" I yelled, grabbing the end closest to myself. Melissa pushed the "stick" forwards a little more.

"Careful," I muttered, but I don't think she caught the words.

Somehow, Dana grabbed onto the stick, and Melissa and I had pulled her out just far enough so that the tips of her toes weren't touching the water when Dana let go. She was laying flat on her stomach, eyes closed, and for a little while thought she was dead. Worst five seconds of my life.

I was supposed to protect her. It was my job. I was her big brother...

I think Melissa started crying. But then Dana opened her eyes, and tried to sit up, except she couldn't, because her body was so cold.

I walked over, picked her up, and carried her to shore. Even though she was eight, it was easy to pick her up, because she was only half my size.

"I'm cold," she murmured, her eyes drooping as I set her down on the snow. "I can't feel my arms," Now Charlie was crying again, along with Melissa. I unbuttoned her coat, and threw it beside me on the snow, along with her scarf, mittens and hat that I had already removed. "Dana, I know you're tired, but you can't go sleep, okay?" I was pretty sure that Dad had told me something about how you were supposed to make a person with hypothermia stay awake. Her eyes fluttered closed again, so I slapped her in the cheek. Anything to keep her awake. "Look Dana, I'm serious, okay?" She made a pouty face, and that's how I knew she was going to be okay. Dad said to never hit a girl...

"Hey Charlie," I said, knowing full well that I was his idol, and he would do anything I said. "Run and get Mom, okay?"

Charlie did as I asked, like I knew he would. Everything turned out alright, I guess, but Dad never trusted me in the same way after. I'm not sure he was as proud of me after, either. You could see it in his eyes. The disappointment.

But that was only the first time.

A/N: Please review! 


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